Passing Through Plymouth, Relaxing at Hatteras

Even when you do something you enjoy for a living, you can get burned out if you don’t take breaks. So, this past weekend we took a break…and drove to the Outer Banks!

It was a 4-1/2 hour drive each way, but we made the trip last even longer by stopping to check out this or that town along the way. Our favorite stop had to be Plymouth, NC. They have a nifty river lighthouse and a nice downtown area right on the waterfront. Most notably, the people in Plymouth say hello to you when they see you on the street, whether you’re their friend or a couple of strangers like we were! Many of the people there were also traveling by bike or on foot, and we totally dug their earth-friendliness!

Then, it was on to Hatteras. The Outer Banks is a chain of barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina; it’s such a unique place, because it’s not quite land and not quite sea. And it’s not quite like other beaches you’ll see around here, either–no high rises, and sometimes, no buildings at all. And the place has tons of history; lighthouses, shipwrecks, Civil War battles…we can’t wait to go back!

The whole time we were there (except for the day we left, of course), it was raining heavily, so we didn’t get to do very much outside. That’s OK; it just inspired us to come back next summer. For a week. Or more! But what we did get to do was relax and enjoy a change of scenery and the chance to hang out with different people (we stayed with several of my relatives whom we don’t see much). The trip cleansed our palate, pulled us out of our routine, and made us think about different things than we normally do. Even though it was dreary outside, we still got to recharge; and that’s a valuable vacation.

Now I’m back in Raleigh, dreaming about our future travels. We truly have a great state to explore…and I can’t wait for the next trip!